Stocking form



Aug. 14, 1934.

R B. DOTY STOCKING FORM Filed Dec.

UNl-TEDsTATEs Patented Aug. 14, 1934 "PATENT omen? 1,969,731 STOCKINGFORM 7 Ruth B. Doty, Winchester, Mass.

Application December 22, 1932, Serial No. 648,461 13 Claims. (Cl.223-17) My present invention relates to devices for use in thestretching, forming and drying of stockings, particularly woolenstockings, the

shrinking propensities of which during washing and drying are wellknown.

An important object of the present invention resides in the provision ofa stocking form or stretcher that is simple in the extreme tomanufacture and use, economical, and at the same 710 time durable,strong and rugged.

Another feature of my invention resides in the utilization of anopenwork stretcher, so that the maximum circulation of air around andthrough a stocking to bedried will be effected, to dry said stocking inthe shortest possible ime.

Another object of the invention resides in the fact that my novelstretcher is capable of use in a wide range of sizes, by a simplemanipulation to extend the foot portion to the desired size.

One pair of my novel devices, therefore, will sufiice for the stretchingand drying of stockings within a wide range of sizes, obviating andeliminating the necessity of having a plurality of forms of varyingsizes for this purpose.

My novel stocking stretcher may be changed from one size to another inbut a moment, it requiring only a simple manual adjustment to 3 efiectthis change.

Other objects and features of the invention reside in the particularconstruction and arrangement of my novel device, and all of the above,together with other objects and features of the invention, details ofconstruction, com binations of parts, and advantages, will behereinafter more fully pointed out, described and claimed.

Referring to the drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a stocking stretcher embodying myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of said stretcher or form;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on the line 33 ofFig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 44 of Fi 1.

Referring now to the drawing, for a particu lar description of theinvention, itsconstruetion and operation, my novel device comprises aleg portion 1,.preferably formed of wire, provided if desired with aloop 2 for hanging or suspending. This wire is preferably of one piece,and is united at one or more points, by crossarms 3, held in position bythe clips 4 or in any other desired manner.

The free ends of the wire 1 terminate at the foot portion, at 5, and tosaid free ends is attached, as by clamping, a plate 6 provided with aplurality of apertures or recesses 7, spaced at predetermined intervalsto correspond to varying stocking sizes. Said plate 6 is provided witha. pair of tubular recesses 8 to receive the ends of a U-shapedextensible toe member 9. One of these ends may be of greater length thanthe other, to facilitate assembly, as clearly shown in the drawings. Inthe form of the invention illustrated herein, the plate 6 has its sidescurved upwardly and inwardly, to form the tubular recesses to constitutea seat, not only for the arms of the U-shaped toe member, but also forthe free ends 5 of the wire or leg portion 1 The ends 5, however, willbe firmly fixed in said tubular recesses, while the arms of the themember 9 are slideable therein.

Attached to the U-shaped toe member 9, in the bow thereof, by a clamp orclip 10 is a rod or wire 11, which may be, if desired, of slightly lessdiameter than the wire 1, for ease and facility in manipulation. Thefree end of the rod 11 is inturned, to provide a button 12 adapted toen'- gage a predetermined recess '7. Said rod 11 is formed, as clearlyillustrated, with a finger hold or gripping portion 14, adjacent to thebutton 12, by means of which the rod 11 may be grasped Q and the button12 raised out of its recess.

The operation of my novel device is simple, and will be readilyunderstood, being briefly, explained as follows;

It being desired to dry a stocking, said stocking is pulled over saiddevice, the device hung up, and the stocking dried. If, however, thefoot portion of the stocking is of a different size to that for whichthe foot portion is adjusted, the operator simply grasps the handhold14, raises the button 12 out of its recesses, and slides the U-shapedmember 9 toward or from the plate 6, and when the button 12 is inregister with the proper recess, releases the handhold 14, whereupon thenatural spring of the rod 11 will seat said button 12 in its recess 7and firmly hold the device in its adjusted position, preventinginadvertent movement thereof.

This device may be made of any suitable or desirable material, orcolored or lacquered in any desired finish, as will be readilyunderstood.

The simplicity, neatness, ruggedness, and other advantages of mystocking stretcher or form will be instantly apparent, and since Ibelieve the same is novel, I have therefore claimed said device broadlyin this application.

-While-I have necessarily described my present invention somewhat indetail, itwill be appreciated that I may vary the size, shape andarrangement of parts within reasonably wide limits' without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

7 My invention is further described and defined in the form of claims asfollows? r t 1. A stocking form, comprising 'anopen leg end of said rodadapted to engage a predeter mined recess to prevent inadvertentmovement-- of said toe portion. I

2. A stocking form, comprising an open leg portion terminating in aplate constituting a part of the foot portion, said plate having aplurality of size-determining recesses therein, a U-shaped toe portionslidably mounted'with .respect to said plate, a rod carried by said toeportion and projecting over said plate, a button at the free end of saidrod adapted to engage a predetermined recess" to prevent inadvertentmovement of said toe portion, and a handhold on said rod adjacent tosaid button.

3. A stocking form, comprising an open leg portion terminating in aplate constituting a part of the foot portion, said plate having aplurality of size-determining recesses therein, a 'U-shaped toeportionslidably mounted with respect to said plate, a rod carried bysaid toe portion and projecting over said plate, and a button at thefree end o'f said'rod adapted to engage a predetermined recess topreventinadvertent movement of said toe portion, said rod being providedwith an offset portion to constitute a handhold ad- J'acen't to saidbutton.

4. A stocking form, comprising an open leg portionterminating in a plateconstituting a part of the foot portion, said plate having a pluralityof size-determining recesses therein, said plate 'also having aplurality of tubular recesses ad jacent to the sides thereof, a U-shapedopen toe portion having arms seated in said tubular re-' cesses andslidable therein to vary the position of said toe portion relative tosaid plate, a rod carried by said toe portion and projecting over saidplate, and a button at the free end of said rod adapted to engage apredetermined recess to prevent inadvertent movement of said toeportion, p 5. A stocking form, comprising an open leg portionterminating in a plate constituting a part of the foot portion, saidplate having a plurality of size determining recesses therein, saidplate also having a plurality of tubular recesses adjacent to the sidesthereof, a U-shaped open toe portion having arms seated in said tubularrecesses and slidable therein to vary the position of said toe portionrelative to said plate, a rod carried by said toe portion and projectingover said plate, and a button at the free end of said rod adapted toengage a predetermined recess to prevent inadvertent movement of saidtoe portion, said rod being provided with an offset portiontoconstitutea handheld adjacent to said button. i i 6. A stocking form, comprisingan open leg portion terminating in a plate constituting a part of thefoot portion, a U-shaped open toe portion slidably mounted with respectto said plate whereby saidform with a single toe portion may accommodatestockings of various sizes, a rod extending inwardly from said toeportion and projecting'over said plate, and cooperating means onsaid'plate and said rod to holdsaid toeportion in adjusted position. H

I. '7. .A'stocki'ng form, comprising a leg portion terminating in aplate constituting a part of 1 the foot portion,a ueshaped toe portionslidably mounted with respect to said plate whereby said form with asingle toe portion may accommodate stockings of various sizes, a rodextending inwardly'from said toe portion and projecting over said plate,and-cooperating means onsaid plate and said rod to hold said toe portionin adjusted position.

8. A stocking form, comprising an open leg portion terminating in aplate constituting a part of the foot portion, said plate having aplurality of size-determining recesses therein,

said plate, also having a plurality of tubular recesses adjacent to thesides thereof, a U-shaped 1 open toe portion having arms seated in saidtubular recesses and slidable therein to vary the position of said toeportion relative to said plate, and means on said toe portioncooperating with said size-determining recesses to hold said too portionin adjustedposition.

9. A stocking form, comprising a leg portion terminating in a plateconstituting a part of the foot portion, said plate having tubularformations adjacent to the sides thereof, a U-shaped open toe portionhaving arms slidable in said tubular formations to vary the pcsitionofsaid toe portion relative to said plate, and cooperating means on saidtoe portionand said plate effective to positively hold said toe portionagainst sliding movement in either direction relative to said plate.

is. A stocking form comprising leg and toe portions slidably connectedfor relative adjustment to fit stockings of different sizes, the legportion including an element having a series of recesses spaced apartcorresponding to different form sizes, and a rod carried by the toeportion and extending over said recessed element and having a projectionfor engagement in 'a selected recess to hold the leg and toeportions'against relative sliding movement.

ll. A stocking form comprising aleg portion, a plate carried by said legportion, said plate having a pair of tubular formations, 'a U-shaped toeportion including a pair of arms slidably engaged in said tubularformations for adjustment to vary the size of the form, the plate havingrecesses spaced apart corresponding to different form sizes, and thetoeportion having means for cooperation with said recesses to hold the legand toe portions against relative sliding movement. i

12. A stocking form comprising leg and toe portions, a plate carried byone of said portions, said plate having apair of tubular formations, theother portion having a pair of arms slidably engaged in said tubularformations for adjustment to vary the size of the form, one of saidportions having formations spaced apart corresponding to different formsizes, and the other portion having means for selective cooperation withsaid spaced apart formations to hold the portions against relativesliding movement.

13. A stocking form comprising leg and foot portions a pair of tubularelements carried by one of said portions, the other portion having I apair of arm elementsslidably cooperating With said tubular elementswhereby the portions are held in assembly with each other and arerelatively adjustable to fit stockings of different sizes,

at least one of said portions having formations

